Sunday, June 5
College Park, Md.
1:00 p.m.

Wake Forest University

41-19-1

5
vs
10

Maryland

47-13

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Maryland
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
6
1
10
11
2
Wake Forest
2
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
5
10
1
Wake Forest Baseball Team

Memorable Baseball Season Ends at NCAA Regionals

6/5/2022 7:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md.- An incredible Wake Forest baseball season came to a close at the NCAA Tournament's College Park Regional as the Demon Deacons fell to Maryland, 10-5, on Sunday afternoon.  

The Demon Deacons (41-19-1) finished the 2022 campaign with 41 victories, the fifth most in program history. Wake Forest increased its win total by 21 games from last season (41 wins to 20 wins), the largest year-to-year turnaround in program history.

On May 30, the Deacs were selected to the 2022 NCAA Baseball Tournament, the program's 14th appearance in the national playoffs, after posting the program's seventh 40-win season. 

Wake Forest ended the regular season with 39 wins, tying the 1999 Demon Deacons for the second-most regular season wins in program history.

After defeating Long Island University, 10-4, on Saturday afternoon, Wake Forest jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the top-seeded Terrapins (47-13) with RBI-doubles from Pierce Bennett and Brendan Tinsman in the bottom of the first.

Wake Forest regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run by Bennett before Brock Wilken hit a two-run home run over the left field wall to increase the Demon Deacon advantage to 5-2 in the sixth. 

Maryland cut Wake Forest's lead to two (5-3) in the top of the seventh before a two-out rally in the eighth ultimately clinched the host team a spot in Sunday night's regional game against UConn.  

The Deacs received another strong start from its starting pitcher as Teddy McGraw struck out a career-high tying seven batters in six innings. McGraw allowed just two earned runs on one hit and two walks. 

The Oneonta, NY. native posted career highs this season in wins (5), innings pitched (70.2), strikeouts (67) and opponent batting average (.203). 

Wilken's two-run shot in the sixth marked his 23rd home run of the season, the second most by a Demon Deacon ever. 

Bennett, a Baltimore, Md. native, posted a team-high three hits and matched Wilken with a team-high two RBIs. 

How It Happened

  • Teddy McGraw faced the minimum in the first inning, striking out a pair and picking off a base runner at first base. 

  • RBI-doubles from Pierce Bennett and Brendan Tinsman gave Wake Forest a 2-0 lead after one full inning of play. 

    • Tommy Hawke led off the game with a single to center field and advanced to second on an error. Hawke came around to score as Bennett notched a two-bagger down the left field line. 

    • After a line out, Tinsman ripped a one-out RBI-double off the left center field wall, barely missing a home run, to score Bennett from second. 

  • Maryland tied the game on a two-run home run in the top of the second. 

    • The Terrapins' lead off batter reached on a fielding error and scored on Maryland's home run. 

    • McGraw struck out a batter for the opening out of the inning before inducing a fly out and line out for the last two outs of the frame. 

  • Lucas Costello notched a two-out single in the bottom of the inning before a groundout ended the frame. 

  • McGraw retired the first two Maryland batters of the third inning with a fly out and groundout. After conceding a two-out walk, McGraw forced an inning-ending fly out to Hawke in right field. 

  • Tinsman registered his second hit of the game with a two-out single up the middle. A strikeout ended the inning as the game remained locked at two after three frames. 

  • McGraw and the Deacs got out of a jam in the top of the fourth as Brock Wilken threw out a baserunner trying to score from third for the second out of the inning. With runners on first and second, McGraw fanned his fifth batter of the game to end the frame. 

  • With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Bennett launched a solo home run to center field to give Wake Forest a one-run lead. 

  • McGraw notched a shutdown inning in the top of the sixth with a groundout, strikeout and fly out. 

  • Wilken launched a two-run home run over an outstretched arm by Maryland's left fielder to extend the Demon Deacon lead to 5-2. 

  • Maryland got one run back in the top of the seventh with a leadoff solo home run. Seth Keener retired the next two Terrapins before working around a two-out double with a punchout. 

  • Bennett notched his third hit of the game with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. A pick ended the seventh with Wake Forest holding a 5-3 lead.

  • Maryland took a 9-5 lead with a two-out rally in the top of the eighth inning. 

  • Wilken and Cecere notched two-out singles but a lineout ended the bottom of the eighth. 

  • The Terrapins added to its lead (10-5) with a solo home run in the top of the ninth. Camden Minacci struck out a Maryland batter for the first out of the inning before Reed Mascolo took over on the hill. The redshirt sophomore retired the only two batters he faced with a punchout and fly out. 

  • Maryland clinched the elimination-game victory in the bottom of the ninth with a trio of strikeouts. 

Words from Walter
"Teddy McGraw gave us a good start and put us in position to win. We had the game right where we wanted it with four outs to go and a two-run lead with nobody on. We just couldn't close it out. Too many free passes. We didn't make enough pitches. Give Maryland credit. They put some really good swings on the ball. Between this game and the UConn game, they're both going to hurt for a while. We had them right where we wanted them. Those were games of bullpens and we liked our chances in those games, but we came out on the wrong side of both of them. 

"I'm proud of this team…. From last year to this year, we're certainly happy. It's a program on the rise. We have a bunch of guys who are committed to it and committed to each other. I'm proud of this group. I'm proud of our seniors, but also of our underclassmen. I just really love this group. The coaching staff too. They did a great job all year. I'm proud of the program as a whole."

Season Highlights

  • Finished the season with 41 wins, the fifth most in program history

  • Became the first squad since 2017 to reach 40 wins and posted Wake Forest's seventh 40-win season in program history. 

  • Increased their win total by 21 games from last season (41 wins to 20 wins), the largest year-to-year turnaround in program history.

  • Made the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance

  • Ended the regular season with 39 wins, tying the 1999 Demon Deacons for the second-most regular season wins in program history. 

  • Finished tied for the second-most wins in the conference, while leading the ACC's Atlantic division

  • Entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 6th in the RPI, the third highest in the ACC

  • Complied a 24-2 record in non-conference play, tying for the best non-league winning percentage in the nation

  • Won four ACC series this season, claiming the first two games at Georgia Tech as well as against Boston College before sweeping Big Four rivals Duke (first time since 2008) and NC State (first time ever).

  • Reached 30 wins in just 43 games, the fourth-fastest in program history and the fastest since 2017

  • Posted one of the best starts in program history with an 11-0 record, the first time since 1961 Wake Forest has won their first 11 games. At that point of the season, Wake Forest stood as one of five unbeaten teams in Division I.

  • Gave up just 11 runs through the first four games, the fewest number of runs the Deacs have allowed in the first four games in head coach Tom Walter's tenure.

  • Held ACC opponents to three runs or less in 13 games

  • Finished the regular season with one of the best offenses in the entire nation, ranking in the top-10 of every category while leading the conference in walks, hits, home runs and runs:

    • Walks- second in nation, first in ACC

    • Batting Average- sixth in nation, second in ACC

    • Hits- third in the nation, first in the ACC

    • Home Runs- fourth in the nation, first in the ACC

    • On-Base Percentage- second in the nation, first in the ACC

    • Runs- fourth in the nation, first in the ACC

    • Slugging Percentage- eighth in the nation, third in the ACC

  • Set multiple offensive program records: 

    • Home runs (122)

    • Walks (364)

    • RBIs (535)

    • 20-run games (four)

    • 20-run games in ACC play (two)

    • Runs in ACC game (27) 

    • Hits in an ACC game (28)

  • Earned seven wins against top-15 opponents

    • Then-No. 8 Florida State

    • Then-No. 6 Georgia Tech twice

    • Then-No.15 Liberty

    • Then-No. 10 Virginia

    • Then-No. 5 Louisville

    • Then-No. 9 Miami

Individual Highlights

  • Josh Hartle

    • Became just the sixth freshman in program history to earn seven victories in a season

    • One of two pitchers in program history to make 14 starts as a freshman

  • Tommy Hawke

    • Named to All-Freshman Team

    • Leads Wake Forest in batting average (.380), which ranks fourth all time by a Wake Forest freshman.

    • Also led the team with a .502 on-base percentage (.502) 

    • Finished the regular season with the second-highest batting average (.406) and on-base percentage (.525) in conference play

    • Leads the Deacs in stolen bases with seven

  • Nick Kurtz 

    • Named Third Team All-ACC and All-Freshman Team

    • Tied the freshman runs scored record (65) and ranks in the top 10 in home runs (tied for second), walks (second), RBIs (tied for second) and doubles (tied for ninth) by a Demon Deacon freshman 

    • Ranks second on team with 48 walks, .637 slugging percentage, .471 on-base percentage, fourth with a .338 batting average and 130 bases 

    • Finished the regular season leading the ACC with a .422 batting average and .548 on-base percentage in conference play

    • Posted the second-highest OPS (1.254) and fifth-highest slugging percentage (.706) in conference play at the conclusion of the regular season

  • Rhett Lowder 

    • Named ACC Pitcher of the Year, the first Demon Deacon ever to win the award, and a First Team All-ACC selection

    • Became the fifth pitcher in program history and the first since 2002 to reach 11 victories in a season

    • Named ACC Pitcher of the Week and Perfect Game Pitcher of the Week after becoming the first Demon Deacon to throw a complete game since 2017, going the distance on 87 pitches at NC State

    • Entered the NCAA Tournament as one of four pitchers in the nation with 11 wins 

    • Led the ACC in wins, while ranking second in ERA (2.61), second in innings pitched (93) and third in strikeouts (98)

    • Sits as the only pitcher in the ACC to rank in the top three in wins, strikeouts and ERA. 

    • Also ranked in the top 10 in WHIP (fourth), walks allowed per nine innings (seventh) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (seventh heading into the NCAA Tournament

    • Named a Second Team Collegiate Baseball All-American

    • Named one of five finalists for the Pitcher of the Year Award

  • Teddy McGraw

    • Earned a career-high five wins, holding opponents to a batting average of just .203,  the lowest among weekend rotation

    • Fanned a career-high 67 batters, good for second on the team

  • Camden Minacci 

    • Struck out 59 batters while only allowing 11 earned runs in 45.1 innings 

    • His career-high strikeout number finished third on the team, while sporting the lowest ERA (2.18) on the squad. 

    • Ranks sixth in conference in saves

    • Named to the Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List

  • Jake Reinisch 

  • Brendan Tinsman 

    • Named Third Team All-ACC 

    • Tied a 34-year old program record held by Billy Masse with a career-high 24 home runs

    • His 24 home runs ranked fourth in the ACC and ninth in the nation at the conclusion of Sunday's games 

    • Finished tied for ninth in program history with 40 career home runs

    • Posted a career year, posting bests in every offensive category

    • Led the ACC in base runners caught stealing and finished tied with an ACC-best .994 fielding percentage 

    • Posted a career batting average of .306 with 170 hits, 34 doubles, 131 RBIs, a .586 slugging percentage and a .363 on-base percentage

    • Named a Semifinalist for the 2022 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award

    • Named to 2022 ACC All-Tournament Team

    • Named a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball

  • Michael Turconi 

  • Brock Wilken 

    • Posted career highs in hits (69), home runs (23), RBIs (77), doubles (13), triples (1) runs (61) and walks (34) this season

    • Ranks second on Wake Forest's single season home run list, while tying for the seventh most RBIs

    • Reached a career milestone against Longwood, registering his 100th career hit with his three-run home run to end the second game of the double header

    • In game one against Louisville, Wilken had his best game of his career, hitting a career-high three home runs and driving in a career-high eight runs.

    • Named to 2022 ACC All-Tournament Team

Follow The Deacs:

GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Related News

Skip Ad
All News
Baseball Stock
Walter Completes 2026 Staff with Additions of Matt Morales and Ryan Hendricks
Tuesday, August 26
Bobby Seymour
Bobby Seymour Set to Make MLB Debut with the Rays
Friday, August 15
Ezra Bye
Wake Forest Baseball Adds Ezra Bye as Pitching Lab Coordinator and Director of Player Development
Monday, July 21
Cam Nelson
Six from Wake Forest Baseball Selected in 2025 MLB Draft
Monday, July 14
All News
Skip Ad

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Falco, David (7-1)

L: Golob, Gabe (4-1)

Maryland

Batting:

2B: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Lorusso, Nick 1 ; Schreffler, Troy 1 ; Petrutz, Ian 1

HR: Alleyne, Chris 1 ; Costes, Maxwell 1 ; Petrutz, Ian 1 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 1 ; Keister, Kevin 1

RBI: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Alleyne, Chris 2 ; Schreffler, Troy 1 ; Costes, Maxwell 2 ; Petrutz, Ian 1 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 2 ; Keister, Kevin 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Alleyne, Chris 1 ; Lorusso, Nick 1 ; Shaw, Matt 1 ; Costes, Maxwell 1 ; Petrutz, Ian 2 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 1 ; Keister, Kevin 2

HBP: Petrutz, Ian 1 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 1

PO: Shliger, Luke 1

Wake Forest LogoWake Forest

Batting:

2B: Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1

HR: Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1

RBI: Bennett, Pierce 2 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Wilken, Brock 2

Base Running:

RUNS: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Bennett, Pierce 2 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1

CS: Bennett, Pierce 1

PO: Bennett, Pierce 1

Game Leaders

5

Pierce Bennett

2b
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
9

Brendan Tinsman

c
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
25

Brock Wilken

3b
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
24

Tommy Hawke

rf
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0

Players Mentioned

5

Pierce Bennett

INF
/ Baseball
0

Lucas Costello

INF
/ Baseball
23

Josh Hartle

LHP
/ Baseball
24

Tommy Hawke

INF
/ Baseball
26

Seth Keener

RHP
/ Baseball
8

Nick Kurtz

OF/INF
/ Baseball
4

Rhett Lowder

RHP
/ Baseball
40

Reed Mascolo

RHP
/ Baseball
42

Teddy McGraw

RHP
/ Baseball
10

Camden Minacci

RHP
/ Baseball
41

Jake Reinisch

INF/OF
/ Baseball
9

Brendan Tinsman

C/OF
/ Baseball
6

Michael Turconi

INF
/ Baseball
25

Brock Wilken

INF/C
/ Baseball

Related Videos

Skip Ad
All Videos
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10
Wake Forest Football vs Western Carolina | Cinematic Recap
Tuesday, September 09
All Videos